What Coaching Is, What It Isn’t— With Particular Reference to NLP

The practice of coaching has expanded hugely in the 21st century, especially in western Europe and north America  (2)  although ‘ the concept of coaching as a profession is still relatively novel.’ (Cox, Bachkirova, Clutterbuck 2010) (3) Lane, Stelter and Rostron (in Cox et al) draw a distinction between being a profession and acting professionally. There is not a recognised unitary professional body ( and regulatory authority) for coaching, in comparison as an example to the BMA for medical doctors in the UK however leading national and international coaching organisations ( and possibly nascent professional bodies) have given definitions of coaching:

Coaching is facilitating the client’s learning process by using professional methods and techniques to help the client to improve what is obstructive and nurture what is effective in order to reach the client’s goals. European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), Code of Conduct for Coaching [and Mentoring] June2011. www.emccouncil.org

Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential. International Coach Federation (ICF).  www.coachfederation.org  2011

The EMCC recognises that ‘there will be many different types of coaching [/ mentoring] taking place and these will need to be defined when more detailed standards are produced.’ Cox et al (op cit) opine that coaching may include characteristics indistinguishable from other ‘helping professions’ possibly including counselling, mentoring and some elements of psychotherapy. However with significant variations across differing coaching modalities coaching may generally be differentiated from other  ‘helping ‘ or ‘service ‘  disciplines across some of the following factors listed here with comments:

Pathology -the coachee is whole / OK and doesn’t need fixing

Time Line:  the past – greater emphasis is on the now into the future. The work of Eckhart Tolle is noted in this field. [ Tolle, E  Power of Now. London, Hodder and Stoughton 2001] Intervention-ask rather than tell

Expertise, subject knowledge– expertise is within the coachee though interventions may occur if the coach judges he/ she can offer knowledge the coachee does not have e.g. of a potentially useful methodology (such as a psychometric test  www.tmsdi.com)